Safe & Sound
by Evremore
Summary: "Keep running, that's what I do. Keep running and I'll stay alive, keep running and I'll run myself into the ground, and eventually..."Nothing is ever as easy as it seems,& just when boredom sets in with Tifa at Seventh Heaven, someone new decides to kick up the dust. Even though Barrett was the head of AVALANCHE, with the figurehead gone, all hope seems lost. VxOC
1. Safe and Sound

**Hello. It has been years since I've last updated... But this time I should keep with it. Updates may come slowly, as I am now in college! I started this account when I was in middle school. This is terrifying and astounding in many forms. Please be patient if you enjoy this story - follow or favorite it for more accurate updates! I try to keep my chapters long on every update so as to give a little more lenience on my half. **

**I think Final Fantasy 7 was the first real fandom I fell into headfirst... and apparently I've never looked back.**

**Please enjoy chapter 1 of Safe & Sound!**

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><p>Running. Muscles ache, feet red with blisters, clothes torn and black from the dirt, pavement, the smog that littered this city. This once great city. Built as a majestic leap forward in technology, resulting in the world's near crumbling death. Breath. One, two - inhale, exhale. Rapid, hyperventilation speed - excess oxygen to the brain eventually moves to the muscles. It's been an hour, and they have not let up. They are usually not this persistent - unless they have narrowed the numbers. It is rare, but it will happen. I have to flee the city - even in the wild, open plains where life is just now beginning to reappear and flourish I have more of an advantage than in this wasteland of a kingdom, built by a pseudo-saint.<p>

Left, right, down the alley, up the main highway, am I on the upper plate? I must be, the sky looks a little brighter - the air only a little cleaner. My lungs feel as if they are both alight with fire and weighed down by the thick coating of smog and rust in the air. My breathing technique has failed me for now but I have to keep going - I must keep going. Nothing will ever catch me - I am like the wind. I am wild, I am unattainable, I am ageless, I am free.

For once, I was not.

Nothing ever seemed to change anymore, ever since the calamity of Meteor was stopped.

By myself - and the others, yes, of course, but still... one cannot simply forget what has happened since then, and the life of adventure. And being slightly wanted - and _not_ in the usually good way. The socially acceptable way - let's put it at that. But still, the bar was thriving and I was making good money for looking after two children by myself. Virtually by myself, I constantly remind everyone, because Cloud's mail still came here - so he was still, technically, part of this establishment. Most of it (the mail, not his part around here - _that_, was virtually nonexistent) was piled up on his desk and consisted simply of requests for packages to be delivered, or for beasts to be slain, or small children to be found. Those last ones always bothered Denzel...

_"But... we're family, and he's going off solving other peoples' problems while you're sitting here struggling and suffering because of him!"_

Awkwardly full of both rage and reckless abandon at such a young age, and nowhere to direct it at but Cloud. He reminds me of Cloud, when we were young and still so close. I'd like to think that Denzel and Marlene would grow up to be good friends and stay that way for life, and not end up as I did with Cloud - lost, a little awkward, and in a situation that at least fifty percent of the party wants out of. It's only been a short two years since Meteor, but AVALANCHE seems to be but a distant memory. Cid and Shera have been rebuilding their lives together in Corel, but other than that... I hadn't heard much. Reeve has been up to some top-secret-project that he refuses to tell any of us about any more - but he assures me whenever he drops Cait Sith by that I will "absolutely love it". Red XIII... Nanaki... he's supposedly out travelling the world, but without much means of communication no one can really get a hold of him. He drops by from time to time, mainly if he's on the continent. Yuffie has been training in Wutai to assume a diplomatic position - one she calls and complains about often. Barret is in a lot - he has to see his little girl, of course, and always makes sure the bar is doing well. If the oil business ever does him wrong, Barret needs to become my personal advertiser - the bar is always packed after he gets here. Word of mouth works well when no one can hear over you.

So, yes, while everything has changed - it also feels like nothing has changed. As if AVALANCHE was never founded, and that these bonds we grew never happened. The daily grind of making ends meet, no fame and guts and glory any more, and that hollow feeling when you know you're unsatisfied just comes creeping back.

The knock on my door came as a surprise - I had been polishing glasses mindlessly for hours it seemed - and a welcome one at that, for instead of Cait Sith standing at the door with Marlene and Denzel, it was Reeve himself.

"Well, hello there, Miss Lockhart. The years have treated you well indeed," he greeted me first. Marlene instantly ran from his side to my own, and Denzel watched the unfamiliar face with keen eyes.

"I could say the same for you, Reeve. No fancy costume this time? I expected more from you," I said back, smiling for the first time today. It was shallow and half meant, but still.

Taking a seat on the stool in front of me, Reeve checked his watch,

"Yes, uh, I should think we will have plenty of time to discuss this before opening, yes?" Head cocked to the side, the look begging for agreement. It must be serious for Reeve to venture out of his hidey-hole as Barret called it.

I agreed, telling the children to run upstairs and get started on their homework. They attended private classes from a friend of Reeve's, someone he trusted to give Marlene and Denzel and safe yet real education. The school systems here in Edge had only been built up to an elementary level, and Marlene was just about out of the age range for that, so Barret and I just put both of them in the private class.

Once the children were out of sight, I sighed and slumped in a stool I had behind the counter, and without gusto I attempted to slam my glass down on the table.

"What's up, Reeve? You're never out in person," I asked - it was earnest but tired.

"I need your help, Tifa," his voice had dropped all lightheartedness, "there is a problem arising, and I'm not entirely sure how to stop it. I'm not even sure if we can."

"And?"

"... my organization, the WRO... the World Regeneration Organization... that's what we _do_, Tifa. We help the world regenerate - ShinRa's mako energy was destroying the Lifestream and in turn the Planet. But we can't take on a whole army - we aren't to that level yet. My soldiers are still new. We would be slaughtered in an instant. There are -"

"So you want **me** to do... what, Reeve. I can't take an army by myself," I furrowed my brows at the aging man.

"You wouldn't have to - at least not by yourself. And I'm not talking about and army - at least not yet. It is however, a problematic group of... bandits, I guess you could call them. They have been looting around the ruins of Midgar and subsequently those of the ShinRa Power Company."

I shifted in my stool, fingering the glass I had next to me, "Would you like a drink, Reeve?"

"Hmm? No, thank you."

I poured myself one, with a raised eyebrow from Reeve Tuesti.

"Now, Tifa, you know as well as I do that the ShinRa Corporation did horrible things to people in its day. Things that none who survived its collapse should ever be proud of - including me."

I wondered, briefly, what he was getting at. Experiments? We all knew about those - some of us better than others.

"Are you suggesting that these bandits are super powered, Reeve?" I smiled a little at my stupid joke.

"Haa... fortunately they seem to be of average human power, Miss Lockhart. But it is concerning. The city of Midgar has been quarantened due to the mako released, and I fear that these... bandits... are looking for something to salvage. The WRO hasn't been able to get into the city since Meteorfall. Whatever they are looking for, Tifa, it could be deadly," he finished, leaning back and resting his hands on the bar instead of their previous position of holding up his face.

Even though these two years have seemed both very short and strenuously long, the years have multiplied in Reeve. As the head of this massive organization, he is responsible for more than anyone could ever imagine. Or at least that's what I'm willing to bet, at least. No one really knows anything of what Reeve has been up to, or his brand new, shiny organization. The outcome though suggests stress, and lots of coffee. The man sat before was so very different from the man I had met years ago - mostly in a good way. And while the WRO headquarters resided in Junon, he always managed to the visit here in Edge whenever possible - especially in the form of a little cat robot.

"So," I started, rolling the scotch in the glass like it meant something, "You want me to get rid of them? Pretty bold, Reeve, asking only a girl to go."

"Oh, Miss Lockhart, you under estimate me. I've already called the others."

My turn to raise the eyebrow, "You've managed to get a hold of _everyone_?"

My heart lifted, if Reeve had gotten a hold of Cloud, then there was still a chance I could convince him to come back home.

Reeve let out a small laugh. "Yes, of course. Well, except for Cloud and Vincent," boom, down to the bottom of the glass, "Vincent seems to have fallen off of the face of the Planet, while Cloud just never answered. His voicemail was also full - where has he been, Tifa? I assumed I would find him here."

I didn't care to answer, and thank the Planet I didn't have to - just yet - because I saw little Marlene bounding down the stairs.

"Tifa! Denzel doesn't feel well! I think he is sick," she cried, big brown eyes looking between Reeve and myself, little hands tugging on my duster that nearly hit the floor. After her outburst, she immediately clammed up, taking a step back with shy hands behind her back.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to interrupt. But, he's really, really sick and I... I don't know what to do!"

Without a moment's hesitation, I stood from my position and nodded to Reeve, a smile gracing my face, and walked up the stairs to the young boy's room.

The Wastelands were desolate to say the least. I mean, I guess that's why they're called the Wastelands. A few leafless shrubs dotted the dry and cracked ground, dust filled my lungs and I continued my long-strided, loping jog. I could no longer keep up the full-throttle sprint I was going at back in the city, but that was okay. I seemed to have lost them. Now I simply wanted distance.

I would miss my little shack I made there, in the upper part of some abandoned building. A little bit of life had begun to grow on the ground floor, the only real source of light for a hot minute gathering in that spot ensured its growth. When I spotted the first little tufts of grass, I went to a nearby water source with a bowl to give it a little pond - back and forth and back and forth until a reasonable amount of water had accumulated. Of course, that was months ago. Now, the grass had turned into some wildflowers and let off a lovely smell to any who may happen by my little fortress of solitude. They also probably wouldn't be around long.

But none of that really, truly mattered anymore. I had been found, I had been hunted, I had been chased. Now I flee, and I will seek shelter elsewhere - one that will be more permanent. Hopefully.

But even that does not matter at the current. That comes when distance has been put between myself and my pursuers, no matter what their mission. Even if they simply wanted the gil I kept buried under the shock blankets I slept on, even if they simply wanted to get me to a safe place to stay instead of the mako-infested city - they definitely could have gone about it in a different way. However, I knew better. They were after something - they believed I had it. It was the only definitive answer, the only thing that made sense.

Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be bleeding right now...

I came into the small little town at a languid limp at best – and it was so quaint. With wooden rooftops, bland painting, cobbled roads. Ah, yes. The good old town of Kalm. A fitting name, nothing ever seemed really happened here. Normally, I would never rest easy in a place as small as Kalm, but I had travelled a great distance - the sun had already set and the air was gaining a bit of a chill. One could hear the howls of beasts in the distance. Nighttime was not a place to wander about outside the city grounds, at least not now.

When the ShinRa Power Company was at its highest point, the damage done to the Planet had both positive and negative effects. The positive, monster were few and far between, often only wanting to come out at night, and when they did venture during the day it was far away from civilization. The negative was that, not only did the damage virtually eradicate the potential for organic fruits and vegetable, but it also killed off the livestock and most friendly creatures in the immediate vicinity of Midgar.

As I walked, a little less on edge through the crowded streets of Kalm, I noticed the townspeople bustling and moving about to put up banners, signs, and the like. They had already decorated the street lamps with vibrant red and gold and steely grey ribbons. I stood infront of a large house-turned-inn, where a moderately sized billpost was stapled into the exposed wooden structure of the house.

_"Celebrate the wonderful miracle of Meteorfall!"_

It read. I smiled at the thought of the ordinary townsfolk thinking the calamity as a miracle. And I kind of guess it was, for them. The Planet didn't get destroyed, after all. The flyer went on to tell that the festivities actually started tomorrow, and that food stalls would be up and music would be blaring and all that funky kind of jazz they did these days.

_Perfect. _I could hide amongst the festivities. No one would manage to make any progress in a search during a time like this! I could rest… even if it were just for the night, even if it were during a fireworks display. I could regain my energy, and then I would be on the move once more.

There was a stack of letters sitting on the little table in my room. The owner's room. The owner's _guest_ room. There was a sense of "you don't touch this, I don't charge a large sum of gil at the end of your _extended stay_". Not that the homely owner of this two story, quaint little house was an old hag – I had actually known her when she was a young girl just starting school. But she doesn't need to know that. She didn't _have_ to let me stay here, open-ended, with little to no indication of when I would be out of her hair. Sophia, that was her name. Sophia Enders. That was before she married, though the husband passed when Midgar fell. She only asked that I help with groceries, and that I not damage anything in the house.

Easy enough. For the most part.

But the letters came in floods, and all - and I mean every last one, down to the post card that I refused to turn over - were from one and one person only.

Reeve Tuesti.

I knew because a talking cat with a funny accent delivered all of them. And I cared not what the WRO was doing at the present. I cared not for what any of my former comrades were up to at the present. I cared not for much of _anything_ at the present. It was depressing, yes, but true. I couldn't find it in me to drag myself out to the Cave where Lucrecia lay dormant, in a state of forever-slumber, and attempt repentance. Sure, for the first year or so this was a regular thing. So was meeting up, every so often. Usually for the holidays – sometimes a birthday. Then I got word by Yuffie that Cloud had suddenly disappeared, and without our figurehead, AVALANCHE fell dormant. I visited Tifa once, just to make sure she was alright. The child that Barret had adopted was taking up residence there while Barret was out scrounging the world for fuel, but was not there for the meetup.

Probably for the best. I wasn't too easy on the eyes back then.

Tifa had seemed dejected, more than a little hurt. We drank a full bottle of wine during the lunch we shared – burgers, fresh from the kitchen.

It was enjoyable.

I would suppose that this is when my real lack of enthusiasm started, for shortly after that, the letters began to arrive from Reeve. One every week or so. The post card was delivered by actual post, presumably from Costa del Sol while Reeve was on vacation.

The breeze whipped my hair a bit, the window stayed open to accommodate the lack of air conditioning in the house. A crumpled flyer fell into my lap, and I looked out to make sure that no one was throwing things simply to be throwing things. Down below, the people bustled in preparation for the second big celebration of our "salvation" from Meteorfall.

If they knew that a rag tag group of humans, beasts, and mechanical beings were the ones who prevented the great Calamity that befell our Planet two years ago, they would most likely be singing a different tune. We might also be in jail. Or executed. Or exalted, who knows, the world dances to a different beat these days.

A young lady stood still at the house-turned-inn that AVALANCHE and I resided in so long ago. A larger than necessary bill post was up, and she was reading it while leaning languidly on a lamp post. I simply watched, noting her clothes were simpler than that of the current trends, and also not in agreement with the sweltering weather. She suddenly turned from the posting and walked down the street, one leg not reaching quite as far as the other. I noted the trail of red leaving her.

_Someone's been into something._

It wasn't in my nature to inquire about things that were no longer directly related to me. Not any more, at least. The last time I did that I died.

So I decided to leave her be. If it were a bigger deal, it'd be a lot more noticable. Instead, I turned to my small pile of letters Sophia brought up to me, a new addition adding on every so often thanks to Cait Sith and Reeve, and grabbed a small pocket knife.

I had a lot of catching up to do.

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><p><strong>Alright. Hopefully this was ok. Please rate, please review, please do all that good stuff. Again - chapters will come out slowly as I am now in college and the majority of my grades are papers! I really have to focus on those first, as much as I love this idea that's coming to me! I'm even putting off an essay about video games and religion to upload this while I wait for the sushi bar to open. (I sound like such a weaboo but I swear to God I'm not... I just like... I like a lot of food.)<strong>

**Thank you so much!**

**S.**


	2. Hopes and Dreams

**Hello! Thank you for continuing on to chapter two! Hopefully you wanted to be here and didn't wind up here on some freak-o accident. **

**I don't own the FFVII franchise. Or anything, really. I probably don't even own my OC.**

**Boobs.**

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><p>Chapter 2 - And All my Hopes and Dreams<p>

The festivities were loud, as expected, but not nearly as crowded as I had hoped. Apparently, things like this were being held all over the Planet, so not much foreign traffic was found. That did mean, however, that I got a good room at the inn at a pretty awesome deal. A bed, a _real bed._ I would have paid _good_ money for that, but instead I paid the money I swindled out of old safes in Midgar.

But even then it was only fifty gil for the night.

It should have been illegal.

I sat down on the bed, excited to sink into the mattress – even if it was a little bit stiff. I stretched out my leg, sore from the running and the slight wound held there. I stood only long enough to shimmy my trousers off of my bottom and sat back down. I kicked my boots and socks off with the pants, and examined the damage.

_Not too bad_. I thought. I'd definitely had worse. The skin split across my knee about an inch, although I could tell that damage had been done far deeper in the tissue than a mere cosmetic mark. Although the potential was there to be significant, so long as I kept it clean it would do just fine. I looked to the odd weapon I procured from one of the men chasing me, and without hesitation, I dumped it into the alleyway below one of my windows.

The thing probably had a tracker in it.

It was entirely possible, purely because of the fact that I had never seen a weapon like this before, and I _knew_ weapons. Hell I used to _train_ people in combat – usually to be used against weapons but hey. This one, though, fired a round of what could only be described as pure energy. It felt as if it had bored into my skin, not ever letting me go, and suddenly it just vanished – and most of the pain left, too. Possibly a timed response, to render the victim motionless for a hot minute. ShinRa had been developing a technology very similar to this, and that realization put fear in my stomach, hitting like a stone in my chest.

I rolled my shoulders back, popping a spot in my back, and cracked my neck. Tension effectively relieved, I proceeded with wrapping my bare knee with the silks I bought from a Wutain merchant. The trade situation since the fall of ShinRa must have improved greatly – the strips were less than thirty gil total. Or it was a cheap imitation.

I didn't care, I just don't do doctors.

Looking out into the crowd below, I found a slight sense of peace. This town truly was Kalm, in more than one way. Time seemed to slow, maybe even halt, here. ShinRa hadn't hit here as hard, the death of the Lifestream avoided in just this little spot. Or they recovered quickly. The sun was just setting, painting oranges and gold and blood across the sky, in the far distance you could see the purples coming to mark the night's arrival. The crowd grew by the minute, the music flowed up and into every crevice.

It was beautiful.

And with that, I decided to take a walk.

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><p>"How long has he had this, Tifa?" Reeve said, agitiated.<p>

"I-I thought it was a bruise, Reeve. He's had it for a week – you know boys, they get into everything." I raised my hand to my chin. I felt like a mother who was being accused of child abuse.

Reeve had stayed the night and had been up early. He stayed on the phone all day, not with one person in particular. The first half of the day he spent pacing about the downstairs area, arranging meetings and to see how the offices in Junon were doing. I brought him lunch in Cloud's office, where I found him with legs up on the desk, looking absent minded and sorting through the mail that was, at some point, a month old. It wasn't until the sun set and the sky was drenched in purples and reds that he came into where I ate with Marlene, looking at Denzel with a mixture of relief and sadness.

His fever broke around noon. He was eating by five, and now he was up and having idle conversations with Marlene, who kept dabbing a wet cloth on his forehead where the discoloration lay.

"Reeve – please don't think that –"

"I'm not, Tifa. Believe me, I know that you would never harm Denzel. But there are more pressing matters afoot than what I had originally came to tell you, apparently," Reeve was pacing in the hallway, his voice hushed so that the young ones couldn't hear, "Let's talk downstairs."

And so there we sat for a brief period, Reeve collecting his thoughts, and I poured myself a glass of rum again. My nerves were so on end, I could the exhaustion eating me alive. I didn't sleep last night, neither did Marlene or Reeve.

"Barret will be here in the morning," I said.

"Oh? Did you call him last night?"

"Yeah, he wants to make sure that Marlene is alright. He's also going to take the two of them to Cid and Shera's. She's expecting, you know… I didn't know. But she said she's happy to watch them while we do… whatever it is you want of us," I said, taking tiny sips during my pauses. The spicy drink make my chest tickle and burn, I wanted to cough but never let it out. I owned a bar, the least I could do was handle my liquor, damn it.

"I'll send a medical team to watch Denzel, then," he said, leaning forward on the stool to grab the rum himself, and poured it into the glass I immediately offered him.

"He is sick, Tifa, more sick than you or I could ever imagine. A lot of children have it, those that were rescued from the ruins of Midgar. A lot of refugees have it, period. We have been testing – with permission!" he added at my pointed glare, "We've been trying to see what is causing this… mystery disease. Every organization seems to have their own theory."

"And what's the popular one?"

"Well, ShinRa released a statement about Mako causing it – where there was Mako poisoning, there could also be a super-concentrated version. But people in Wutai and Costa del Sol are contracting it, too, although the numbers are much, much lower. There are barely any reports of Mako poisoning there."

"So what does the WRO think, then, Reeve?"

He paused, downed his glass he had been nursing since he began, and shifted to rest his chin on his hands. Reeve looked up to the ceiling, before russet eyes landed on mine.

"What happened when Sephiroth died?"

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><p>I couldn't keep my eyes off of one particular boutique. I had passed up and down the streets, the shoppes staying open later than usual for the celebration. I had already gorged on some seriously good chow – all free due to the saving of the Planet. The clothes I had on were nice, but they were old and I was a girl at the end of the day. I had little to no intention of buying anything, but whatever. It might be nice to get out of the turtle neck once in a while.<p>

And if those militia men were as good at tracking as they claim to be, a new outfit might do me well.

So I went.

The little shoppe was quaint, like most of Kalm. The walls were wooden, and potted saplings littered the corners and stood next to tables. It was incredibly bright, but in a dimly-lit restaurant way. You could any and everything you needed, but the yellow light cast by the little paper lanterns in the trees and from the ceiling made everything look… _better_.

"Hello, dear. In for the sale?" The young lady at the register seemed about my age, with hair up in a large bun and some rather fashionable – if not mildly outlandish – clothes on.

"Uhm. Sure? I really just need some new clothes. These are kind if… outdated," I stuttered, trying to find something acceptable to substitute the fact that I was being chased and might be a wanted woman.

The girl smiled sweetly before walking me in front of a mirror and taking a long, hard look at me. I did so as well; my hair needed to be cut, the last several inches of my long mane was definitely split and dead in all the wrong ways. I had zero makeup on my face, which I kind of missed. My shirt was ShinRa issued, just a long-sleeved navy turtle neck. The hunter green pants bagged due to weight loss that I would probably never get back. The shoes came to my knees, the brown leather cracked and worn from lack of care and abundance of use. I rarely had them off.

"I'm going to assume you're about… a twenty-three in the waist. Small tops?" I nodded, "And… what size shoes?"

'Uhm… I really don't know. These are too big for me."

"Alright, just take a seat. I'll bring you some to try, hun. What's your name? I'm Maritza!" She smiled.

"I'm… Maria. Maria Weathers," worst alias ever, can we just decide that right now?

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><p>I had begun reading my letters in chronological order. Mainly, they were asking if I was alright. Some told me of projects that Reeve wanted me to be involved, others were rescue missions, hunting jobs, and scouting out pieces of Midgar that was still too dangerous for the general population to be in. Then there was the post card, which had wished me a happy summer and invited me out to Costa del Sol to join in on the celebration. The last letter arrived in the middle of my reading, and by the time I had reached it, the sky had already turned an inky black.<p>

_Vincent,_

_I regret to inform you that I can no longer simply request your assistance. I was planning on visiting you after my stay with Tifa, and continue on with my rounds. I am currently at Seventh Heaven, and an emergency has come about. I have to send Cait Sith out now if it is to get to you in time. Please, Vincent, we need everyon we can get at this point in time._

_I will explain more at the bar, see you by the morning,_

_Reeve._

I sat back and sighed. It was true that I was concerned for my former comrades, but finding the energy to travel was becoming more and more difficult. I suppose it was the effect of Chaos, where he was becoming more and more demanding in his presence. I never had to worry about him before, locked in the coffin, because there was nothing either of us could do. During my stint with AVALANCHE, I was constantly fighting and, from time to time, Chaos was needed. It was understandable, his need to get out, but certainly unwanted. And draining. Within twenty minutes, though, I was packed up and ready to head on. I left a few hundred gill on the table in Sophia's entryway. I even left her a note in messy scrawl, with my full name signed at the bottom. I felt compelled to be nice, even though I couldn't tell her in person that I was leaving. Possibly for good.

I took care to travel light; a bag with gil in it and my old clothes from AVALANCHE wrapped safely so that I didn't puncture anything else. Like my bag. I also had some clothes to sleep in and a spare change of civilian clothes folded neatly.

Tonight, as I wondered through the crowds of Kalm, fighting my way past a severely rowdy section, I was dressed to attract as little attention as possible. Tifa had pointed out that, although she was sure my leather ensemble was comfortable, it wasn't exactly the most conspicuous getup in the world. Eventually, I relented and allowed her to take me out and buy some new clothes. Tonight was the navy button down, dark denim jean, and some boots Tifa fished out for me at the thrift store. The outfit was comfortable, although I was used to the restricting leather, and before that I wore mainly my Turk uniform…

Mt attention centred on a young girl not far from me, walking with some difficulty. I wanted to say it was the young girl from yesterday, with the limp. This one's clothes were different though, much more up to date, and lighter to account for the weather. A brightly patterned kimono, a beige one with russet and purple details, hung loosely from her shoulder. Under that, a denim shirt was unbuttoned – the bottom had a lace trim and the sides of the shirt were replaced with a tribe-looking fabric. Under this, a white tank with a graphic print on it. Shorts, far too short for a lady back in my day, had one leg painted a similar pattern as the shirt's panels. She was short, and her shoulders were small. With some effort, she climbed atop a stack of boxes to look above the crowd. I was maybe ten feet away at this point.

But my job was to get to Tifa's, not to worry over a young girl, and so I made my way towards the outskirts.

A few more blocks and the music was the only thing left blaring my ears. Last year's festivities were not nearly as extravagant – merely a large feast and some dancing in the square. The celebration had happened right as I moved in with Sophia, and I only ever cared to pick at some of the free food offered. I had actually stashed a great portion of it so that I wouldn't eat more of Sophia's groceries.

Of course, it wasn't like I didn't have a job or anything. Odd jobs around town seemed to be fixed into my routine, but I also worked at the bar in town. Serving those who suffered regularly and those who hunted regularly helped with my own guilt. It was still there, and it was still heavy, but it was slowly ebbing.

I stumbled after hitting… something. I turned quickly, hand on the knife in my pocket – I hardly carried a gun any more, unless I was out hunting. To my disbelief, the young girl from before was also carefully regaining her footing. She was looking at me with wide eyes, and I'm sure my expression wasn't the best either.

"S-sorry. I can't seem to find my way out, I'm in a sort of hurry, you see," she stammered only slightly, but otherwise held her composure.

"It's night, you shouldn't be outside the city. The Planet still isn't safe."

"It's not really a choice."

I nodded slightly, and pointed her off in the direction I was intending on travelling as well. She smiled and waved, and took off at a fairly fast pace.

_Someone must be following her…_

And with that, I rounded a corner, and jumped. I missed someone's window by an inch, springing the rest of the way up to the roof. It had been years since I had done any real scaling. I had believed that my fighting days were over, so I never really bothered in keeping up with anything. The only real skill that was ever sharp had remained my shooting.

As I walked on, jumping over smaller alleys when needed, I heard the commotion. Several men were approaching from behind, weapons out and ready to fire.

_Well, looks like I'm right…_

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><p><em>Didn't I know him? I swear to God, I know him. <em>

Suddenly, I was cold. I felt like I had hit a ghost, I probably had, who knew. I didn't. I could feel that sensation in my chest, like a shard of ice resided there and was tightening up on me. I was ready to spring at any moment, but I hadn't anticipated that I'd need to go so soon. I bent down to pull my socks up higher, over my knees, when the wind was knocked out of me again.

"Hot… dam-" hand over mouth, yet mine were shoved above my head. I let my legs go, attempting to surprise my assailant with what little weight I had dropping to the ground, but the hand on my mouth went to my waist. I opened once more, ready to scream, ready to bite, but a shoulder struck my teeth hard and my head hit the brick wall behind me. I was lifted before I could see again, and the bouncing signified that I was _definitely_ moving. I struggled a bit, but my head was swimming. I sent a swift kick, but my foot collided with hard back and didn't do much. My assailant rounded the corner and once again a wall was at my back. I struggled, but he simply pushed me flush with the wall, knee pinned between my legs.

_Oh shit, oh hell, what the hell? No, no. No._

"Stop this. You're being followed, just play along," came a deep voice, right the fuck next to my ear. I breathed in, holding it, still not sure if this was part of the 'game' or not. A heavy body against my own, one hand held captive while the other did whatever, uselessly lying against my side. The man stood still, an arm still tight on my waist. Aside from being overly close, he wasn't moving. I couldn't even hear him breathe. All I could really see, too, was fuzzy black… hair?

Was this the dude from earlier?

Footsteps could be heard a few feet away from us, and I was so prepared to bolt I think my leg cramped up. But the man just stood there, bodies touching, us (I would assume) looking intimate as hell, and the moment that I heard the men wander off, I went for it.

Pain shot through my wrist. He still had a firm grip on me, and I swear I drug him a foot before I stopped, plating my feet and attempting to rip my hand away once more.

"Why were they after you?" he demanded. I looked the man in the face for the first time, and was met with eyes burning like hot coal. My own bright eyes widened till it was painful

_How?_

"How am I supposed to know, yo? Get off, man," I tried to alter my voice, to put a bit of foreign in it, but it had been so long since I'd heard anyone from the other continent that I probably just sounded stupid. He couldn't know it was me, but he also probably didn't even know I was alive.

"You were going to run."

"No shit!"

"Why?"

I could feel a power running through, the fire building up. I gave a final tug on my hand, and he didn't release me, so I released the energy. A bright as fuck light, my wrist was released, and off I went into the inky black night. I had never left Midgar in the two years since meteor at night, so I prayed to the Planet to let me be safe.

Left, right, down the alleyway and through a little gated area.

I was out, and I was running again. The pace was slower than yesterday, making my way carefully so as to not injure my knee, and to not wake any monsters….

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><p><strong>Well, here is chapter two. I don't know if I care for it that much. I was kind of just writing this one to write, so it's a little bit scrambled. I'm beginning to not like the way I had everyone super spaced out. But the little bits that I am missing, when I skip between pov's will probably come into this next chapter. The way I had originally intended to write this was much longer, but the breaks in time with one character allowed for meaningful progression with another. Mainly Tifa, because I like this story line. Vincent isn't going to be vampish, and Vincent isn't going to have Chaos speaking to him. The prescence will be there, but really only in a migraineexhausting way. It's like severe depression on top of crippling depression.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading, please rate and subscribe and review and all of that goody good stuff. Makes me feel loved, y'all. **

**S.**


	3. Coagulated Blood

Chapter 3

Coagulated Blood is Thicker Than... Blood

**Hello all! Forgive me, because I am suffering through finals this week. I also acquired a job that needed me about 40 hours out of the week. But here I am! **

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><p>On my knees I sat with one hand gripping the cobbled ground, the other gripping what was left of my shirt and my ribs. I could smell clearly the flesh still melting, the fire still burning away at me slowly. A hiccup crossed through my lips as I tried to breathe, but instead of the unusual sound, out came a gurgle of blood. A shudder ran its course through me like a drag car down a strraightaway. I had not been hit with magic of that fortitude in <em>ages<em>.

_She's strong... I would dare say she could rival Red in strength... and someone else knows it, too._

I struggled to sit against the wall not a foot from myself, back barely touching, a lot of the weight on my neck. I could already feel the ache of both my wound settling and strength of Chaos. A headache exploded, right behind my eyes, and I let my head fall limp as another ardent signs of a Break coming. Usually they came only when desperately needed – close to death, at least for a mortal. It was rare even when AVALANCHE was saving the Planet from Meteorfall, but now it was once in a blue moon. Chaos came through once when I had my knee shot out by some thieves raiding Midgar, though, but ever since thing had been quiet. With a sigh that was as strained as my body, I searched for my travel pack, hid it out of immediate sight, and fell to black.

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><p>I had walked through the night and almost straight through the morning without a break – around about ten hours at this point, as my newly bought watch read eight in the morning. The sky was mirroring the beauty of last night, with lighter pinks and reds dispelling the inky purples and blacks, giving way to brighter blues and cotton balls that puffed up proudly. The sky had taken a much more crystalline blue tone as of late – birds flying in furtive flocks littered areas of the never-ending landscape. It felt welcoming and foreign at the same time as I had not seen such a beautiful morning in nearly forty years. For the first time in a very, very long time, I was settled in my gut. No more anxiety of being chased, I honestly believed I had lost my pursuers.<p>

Not that a lot of anyone ever goes into these strange woods, I'd imagine. With the eerie light cast about from trees with white bark, the visibility in these parts weren't the best around – and that might be an understatement. The fog did a true number on the visibility, too. This had a kind of safety blanket effect on me... I had never before seen these trees, and I had never before stopped to rest before reaching a town – secluded, inhabited, or otherwise. (Note1)

In all actuality, I could really go on no longer. I had been sat at a certain rock for little over a an hour to soak my wound with water from a little creek, trying to clean it of dust and dirt. I really couldn't risk losing a limb in my position.

I leaned back on one arm, healthy leg bent and the wounded one outstretched, silk cloth laid loosely on top, the sparkling water from the lake mixing with the blood. I had torn the wound clear open on a wayward branch as I was running from some wild chocobos. Thinking back, I really should have approached them slowly. I could have possibly ridden one to the next city. I found myself looking back towards Midgar often, and had set my destination to Edge. It was nearby, connected by a highway, and I should be able to find a way into the quarantined part of the city alright... so long as my knee healed up. I pulled the rag away absent-mindedly, noting the blood coagulating.

"Well, I guess it's time to head on, then", I mused to myself. Even with the safety of the forest, my body ached to move. It had been my life for going on two years, now, and it wasn't about to change any time soon, or at least that's what I thought.

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><p>Sleep never came to me that night second night, either, even though I was desperate for it grace me with it's fleeting presence. Denzel was up and moving at about six, feeling better already, or so he claimed. I could feel the dark circles eating away at my once healthy face. Dead and dulled eyes looked out into the street while the sky's bright pinks and oranges ate away at the inky blackness. Reeve had fallen asleep on the couch to the side of my lonely little bar around an hour ago after downing a beer to help him nod off. I had done the same, but three times over, and just now was the buzz hitting. I was tired, a little cranky, and hadn't eaten since yesterday. All I could get Denzel to keep down was soup.<p>

I thanked Leviathan, because it was a Sunday, and I only ever stayed open till ten on Sundays. Just a seven hour day, that's all I'd have to endure. Maybe I could squeeze in a nap after I made the children lunch. Probably not, as I suspected Reeve would soon rise up from his slumber like the zombie he's become to make another battery of phone calls. I gave another sigh, fed up with both myself and my lack of energy lately.

Ever since Cloud -

My mind exploded with the noise of glass straining against a knock against it, the silence effectively shattered. I nearly dropped the latest beer down into the sink with my jump. I checked the clock – noon. I wasn't to open for another three hours. Reeve was already sitting up from his prone position on the couch, and armed with a mini-pistol.

"A little bit of over kill, Reeve. It's probably just one of the regulars, really," I said as I walked to the old steel-and-oak door that Cloud and I salvaged when building the bar. Upon looking into the glass, raising up on my tip toes to find an equally short – if not shorter – young lady leaned against a steel reinforcement that supported the tiny awning and balcony above her. I didn't recall ever seeing her face, though.

Sharp, yet _wide_ eyes looked back at me in a murky mix of golden brown and Mako green – leaving me shocked and more than a little on-edge. The honey-colored eyes gave way to olive skin, darker than that of her eyes yet still so pale by comparison. Red hair was tied back in a neat and militant braid. She looked exhausted, yet her breathing was not heavy nor was it laboured. I quickly cracked the door, having grown wary of anyone who's eyes glowed that heinous green – even if hers were faint.

"Sorry, ma'am, we're closed until later on!"

"People told me that you'd care for those who couldn't get to a hospital," her voice was wavering, but not with fear? Was she... simply not used to talking?

_Well, I don't have anything right now... we used the last of our materia trying to bring down Denzel's fever._

"I don't have any supplies, but if you can bring them to me, then yes, I will do what I can, I suppose," I fully opened the door, braced for any kind of surprise attack that might come, but still handed the girl a small bag of gil. Money was only _kind_ of tight, and anyone who needed help deserved it.

"Thank you, but I must decline. Simply point me i-in the w-way of the shop, and I will be back," she stammered, pulling out a bag of gill and tossing it once. I gave a smile, eyes crinkling a small bit, and pointed on down the street.

"Straight on that-a-way, ok? Tifa, by the way," I extened my arm before shaking her thin-fingered hands.

"Maria," she said with a small smile.

And with that, she was off.

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><p>After I had made it to the up-and-coming city of Edge, the first thing on my mind was reaching some back-alley healer who said few things and asked fewer. Come to find out, that was both really, really hard and incredibly easy at the same time. Most of the children said that a young woman who ran a bar would give strangers materia for little to no cost at all.<p>

At this point, however, my knee wasn't really in any pain at all. Sore, yes, but painful? Hardly. I was more concerned about weird little bruises that began popping up along my back and the splitting headache I had acquired from my little run-in with my mysterious stranger-buddy.

_Buddy my ass... I pray to anything that will listen that he never comes back into my life._

I didn't mean that. Really, I didn't. But when you go as long as I have gone without companionship and camaraderie, seeing someone you used to know -

_-someone I think I used to know_

-can be somewhat... bitter to the palate.

And yet, here I was, covered in little bruises and microscopic stinging cuts from rocks entering my back in a not-so-cool way, standing in front of a tall and narrow building. I could see from a little window upstairs that a young boy was looking out the window. When I caught his gaze, blue eyes widened before darting out of sight. I cocked my head to the side – was he not allowed outside or some weird shit?

Walking up the short steps to the landing of the bar, I knocked maybe a little harder than I should have – it was early for a bar, after all. I leaned against the metal strut next to me, so tired I could almost sleep right then and there. The young woman wasn't too keen on my being on her doorstep – which was odd, considering that most everyone who told me directions informed me that Miss Lockhart held no qualms with welcoming strangers in need. It was, however, a Sunday, and the revellers from the previous would probably be both hungover and rowdy for more. After explaining that I could not go to a professional medical expert, she opened up. Off was I to go and grab some materia, then.

However, as I walked out of the shade of the little awning, screams reached my ears. Left – clear. Right? Clear. Nothing behind me, surely, just citizens running infront. Only leaves... _up_.

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><p>As I turned about to inform Reeve we may or may not be having a guest later on, screams errupted from the streets. I spun about once more, the lack of sleep and food in my stomach off-setting my balance. I ripped open the door just in time to see a huge... red... <em>thing<em> that I thought I would never see again. A monster my eyes had not held witness to in over two years.

… _Chaos?_

He came barrelling down, no control evident. I was sure he wouldn't land – oh and was I _right_. The moment the cursed demon began shifting back into my old comrade, a clawed arm struck the young woman I had just been conversing with. She let out a hoarse cry, tumbling to the ground, head hitting with a loud _crack_! I saw Vincent tumble with her, blood trailing off in spurts. Denzel and Marlene were running down the stairs.

"Children, stay inside, get back up to your rooms, _now_!" I yelled, Reeve was already past me and heading towards the unconscious duo. I bolted closely behind him, and where he went to the young girl, I headed straight for Vincent. Gravel and sharp bits dug into my knees as I tried to lift Vincent's massive weight to turn him over to his side.

_He's heavier than I thought he would be_.

I reached father across his side to try and gain a little more leverage, but upon feeling something thick, wet, and warm, I pulled back with a gasp. Blood, chunky with bits that had attempted to coagulate rested on my palm. Vincent was knocked out, and I couldn't lift the man even if I tried. I looked over to Reeve, who was now without the young girl and rushing towards me.

"I'll get him inside. Go and get the materia," Reeve's eyes were grim when he handed me the bag of gil. I couldn't blame him. First Cloud, then Denzel and this mysterious disease... now Vincent comes falling from the sky? I shook my head as I walked off to the shop in question, Reeve's voice attempting to overpower the crowd that had surrounded my bar.

"Nothing more to see! I need everyone to leave the premises!"

_At least I'll have some decent business tonight.'_

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><p><strong><em>There we have it. So now the main trio is together, for the most part, I won't have jumpy and jumbly bits hanging around nearly as much. Please leave a review or favorite and all that good stuff. <em>**

**_Thanks!_**

**_S._**


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